


The More You Know

by ThatFangirl_Ally



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Abandonment, Alternate Universe - College/University, Barry Allen Whump, Multi, Musical References, My First Work in This Fandom, Polyamory, The Author Needs Help, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, too many characters to list - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-03-17 21:08:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13667325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatFangirl_Ally/pseuds/ThatFangirl_Ally
Summary: "Damn you, Barry Allen, and your stupidly irresistible puppy eyes!" Cisco yelled, trying to keep a straight face whilst at the same time trying not to laugh."Stupidly irresistible puppy eyes?" Barry responded, his pouty expression melting into one of confusion."I have to say, I agree with Cisquito. And, that is a rare occurrence..." Hartley continued the conversation, feeling the irrational need to butt in."I agree with Cisco, too. Your puppy eyes make it impossible to say no..." Iris huffed, seemingly remembering something."I don't have that good of puppy eyes..." Barry complained, internally face-palming once he realized he sounded like a child when he said that."Yes, you do..." Everyone, even Leonard and Mick, countered.





	1. Meet Up At Club Room Eight

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I've decided to take this fanfic slow. Mostly because it is my first one on this site, and I want it to be good. Really hope you like it, this is the first chapter of the story and most definitely is far from the last. Hope you enjoy.

 

I walked along the campus of my college, feeling a familiar pit in my stomach. It was guilt, something that I felt quite often. I had tried, **again** , to use my gifts to help people. It worked, of course, but I got a hell of a lecture from my foster family once I got home.

I am a meta-human, a term that my friends came up with once we figured out there were more like us. Meta-humans have special gifts, you might call them powers. My power is speed. Everything about me is sped up, all because of a bolt of lightning. I got struck by lightning while I was working on some chemicals in a lab. I was in a coma for the next nine months, and, when I did wake up, I could run faster than the speed of sound.

Going back to the fact that everything about me is sped up... Literally **everything** about me is sped up. The lightning changed my DNA, causing me to literally become speed itself. Once, while training my speed, I had broken my arm. It healed in three hours. Even my metabolism is sped up... I have to eat over ten thousand calories just to not pass out from hypoglycemia after running.

Of course, I have to be extra careful with my speed. I can't let anyone see me, or else I'll be thrown into a lab to be experimented on. Meta-humans, though not all bad, are not widely accepted. Honestly, if you haven't performed your own type of miracle, then your powers could be the reason for your death. Which is why I feel guilty when I have the urge to help people with my powers.

It isn't that I regret saving any of the people that I saved, far from it. I felt guilty for making my family and friends worry about me. I'm not the most careful person you'll ever meet, in fact I'm leaning more towards the careless side of things. I can be cocky at times, a real pain in the ass when I'm proven wrong. I usually don't put myself in a position to be proven wrong, but, when I do, it is always in the most **spectacular** way.

One time, I had argued to my family that I could speed from Central City University, call them once I got to Starling City University, and be back before the three minute mark. I had almost made it, would have had it not been for the blue-shirts walking around the streets. Blue-shirts, more specifically called "Bio-Polars", are volunteers who catch meta-humans. They bring them to labs, where they are, then, rewarded with money and/or land. They spotted my lightning trail, throwing me off my track and into a forest. There, I continued to speed away, though I kept at a speed that wouldn't cause lightning, and my leg got caught in a bear trap.

The bear trap had been specifically modified to travel at a speed which would affect even a speedster, like me. A normal bear trap would not have been able to catch me, but this one did. I had to speed home, nearly ten minutes after the three minute mark I was supposed to make, with the bear trap stuck in my calf. I had to stop for breath several times, passed out from the pain even more, before I even made it to my house.

After that, I had learned my lesson on paying attention to my surroundings. That had been a few months after I got the powers, and I had been pretty new at controlling them. Even now, I still get spastic when I have to sit still for long periods of time.

Speaking of, I had just gotten out of a two hour long class and I needed to get moving. I stopped in an alleyway, making sure that no one was looking, before using my speed and running back to my dorm. I shared a dorm with one of my friends, Cisco Ramon, whom shrieked as I phased through the door and scattered some papers across the floor of our room.

"Dude! What have I told you about coming into the dorm?!" Cisco exclaimed, trying to get through to me. I do that almost every day. Cisco just doesn't seem to get that I do it on purpose, trying to scare him. It's always funny, watching Cisco's mix of emotions as I phase through a wall or a door. He seems to be a mix of scared, annoyed, and excited upon my arrival.

"To phase through the door anytime I want?" I asked, teasing him as I picked up his papers and handed them back to him. He pouted slightly, grabbing the papers and promptly hitting me in the arm with a vibe. We always called them vibes, but it was more of a psychological wave that he could conger up just by thinking about it. He rearranged the papers in the order that he wanted before he seemed to remember something.

"Hartley texted me, said the rogues wanted a meet-up with Team Flash," Cisco announced, sending me a look that said there was more than that but he was going to keep it to himself.

"No. They want to tease us on our 'goody-two-shoes routine'. Why would we knowingly put ourselves through that?" I asked, sitting down on my bed and taking out my phone.

Just as I expected, I had multiple missed calls from Iris, Joe, and even Wally. There were dozens of texts saying to call them back, but one text stood out. It was from Iris.

**_Iris 2:56 PM: Barry, I know you've been feeling like you need to do something to prove yourself to everyone. But, you don't. Your family believes in you, and trusts you. We just worry that you're going to accidentally take it too far and get caught. Please, call us back._ **

I re-read the message several times, to fully comprehend it and to take it in. The only thought going through my mind was: _Do they really believe in me? Sure, they say that all the time, but they are always telling me not to do the one thing that makes me feel complete. That doesn't seem like just worry to me..._

I continued to look through all of the messages and missed calls until one number stood out to me. _Who is this?_ I thought, not recognizing the number. I looked at the messages corresponding to the unknown number and finally realized who it was.

(Random Number) 3:00 PM: Hey, scarlet, the rogues need a meet up with Team Flash pronto.

(Random Number) 3:01 PM: Scarlet, answer the damn phone.

(Random Number) 3:02 PM: Fine, be that way.

I looked over the messages one more time to make sure that I was reading them right. "How does Leonard Snart have my phone number?" I asked Cisco, noticing the way he tensed when I asked that.

"I don't know, he must have stalked you on social media...?" Cisco squeaked, the last statement sounding more like a question than anything. I knew what that meant...

"Cisco, did you give the rogues my phone number?" I asked him, my tone as blank and emotionless as my expression. Though, I was really feeling slight betrayal and peaked interest. The betrayal because I trusted Cisco with my number and really didn't want to have to change it because of the rogues. And, the peaked interest because of the fact that I didn't know why he had given it to them.

"Maybe?" Cisco asked, trying to save himself from my anger. I wasn't really angry, more annoyed than anything, I just wanted to know why he had done it. "Leonard threatened to ice all of my tablets, and the suit if I didn't..." Cisco admitted, seemingly ashamed that it took so little to get him talking. "Also, I was tired of having them all constantly spam only me when they wanted a meet up!" Cisco exclaimed, getting hysterical.

I sped over and covered his mouth, stopping him before he went into a rant. "Cisco! It's okay, I'm not angry!" I exclaimed, trying to calm him down. He mumbled something against my hand and I took my hand off of his mouth. "What?" I asked him, because I didn't hear him the first time.

"I said, you're not angry?" He asked again, trying to clarify my words.

I chuckled, seeing that he was still unsure with his own actions. "I'm more annoyed than anything. I don't want to have to change my number because of the rogues constantly texting me, plausible deniability and all, you know?" I explained, trying to lighten the tense mood. Cisco brightened up, then, and he continued to talk.

"Actually, I only gave Snart and Rory your number. I know what it's like to have all the rogues constantly badgering you for a meeting or something," Cisco explained, feeling more confident.

I chuckled, then sighed as my phone began buzzing again. I looked at my phone, sitting down beside Cisco so that he could see as well.

(Random Number) 3:16 PM: Scarlet, I'm going to call you if you don't answer these texts.

Both Cisco and I full on laughed at that. When my phone rang, signalling that Snart was being serious, we calmed ourselves down. I answered the phone, Cisco and I still chuckling a bit. Snart's voice sounded through the phone as I put it on speaker.

"Scarlet, we told your little nerd friend to tell you about the meet-up. By the fact that you're just reading my messages and not answering, he already told you and you said no. Am I correct?" Snart immediately addressed the issue.

"Cold, last time we met up it was literally just your team either trying to make some of my team uncomfortable or trying to convince some of us to join your team... Why would we subject ourselves to that?" I asked Snart, trying to make him see. Though, knowing him, he will not take no for an answer when he really wants something. Just ask one of the museums he's stolen from...

"This time it's got nothing to do with that. Just do it, Scarlet, please," Cold said, a hint of something in his voice that I didn't know at the time. ("Your emotions are more obvious in your eyes than in your voice," Mick told Len. Len, of course, shied away from the comment. Or, more like snark-ed away from that comment. "Oh please, I'm a cold-hearted bad-ass, all the time..." Len said, making me smile at their antics.)

"Is something wrong?" I asked, instantly jumping into the Flash 'I'm-Here-To-Help' persona that Cisco cleverly coined. It was a mix of concerned for everyone's well-being and alert for any trouble.

"Not like you'd think. It's nothing that serious, but could you bring the whole of Team Flash this time? It's important to some of my rogues..." Snart trailed off, causing me to think there was more that he just wasn't going to say. It was the same as that look Cisco had given me earlier when he was talking about Hartley's text.

"Alright, we'll all be there," I promised, hanging up and getting up off of Cisco's bed. I grabbed my school bag with my books, because I still fully intended to get some work done tonight, and looked to Cisco. "Text the rest of the team, Oliver's as well. Tell Hartley we'll be meeting at club room eight, we were already supposed to be studying in there anyways. I'm going to tell Iris and Caitlin. After the rogues leave, maybe we'll have time to get some actual studying done..." I told him, grabbing my bag with the Flash suit in it and speeding to Iris and Caitlin's dorm.

I phased through the door, catching them in the middle of a make-out session. They both jumped as I entered, Caitlin rushing to pick up the scattered papers around the room. "I thought we were meeting up at club room eight at six?" Iris asked, trying to figure out the reason for my unexpected visit.

"Change of plans, the rogues need a meet up so I told them we'd all meet them at club room eight. If you don't want to come you don't have to, but it was a request to have all of us there," I explained to the seemingly confused and unhappy couple. They were trying their hardest not to sigh, if the frowns on their faces said anything, but they just refrained from it.

"Alright, but Barry?" Caitlin asked, causing me to tilt my head at her. "Stop phasing through our door," Caitlin demanded, turning around to kiss Iris before gathering her bag. Iris chuckled at her girlfriend's demand, me doing my damnedest not to shudder in slight fear.

"Ready to go?" I asked once both Caitlin and Iris had pulled on jackets and had grabbed their bags. When they nodded to signal that they were, I grabbed them and ran off to club room eight.


	2. Bio-Polars?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Flash find out what The Rogues thought was so important that they needed a meet-up ASAP.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, I haven't had any inspiration to write. But, now I have an idea to use and I have some motivation. Woohoo! Chapter one is in first person POV because it was more of an introduction than an actual chapter. It was explaining a lot of what is happening, and giving hints to some things that might happen in the future. The hints, though, are only there if you squint.

Barry got to Club Room Eight after the rest of Team Flash had already shown up, all of them standing outside of the room to wait for the remaining members in an attempt to make The Rogues change their mind. Barry set Iris and Caitlin down before speaking. "Have any of you figured out what is so important?" He looked around at his team, seeing the uncomfortable expressions on their faces.

The rest of the members, excluding Iris and Caitlin because Barry knew that they hadn't, all shook their heads. "None of us dared to step foot in there without The Flash," Cisco spoke up, choosing to take the worst of the incredulous/disappointed look that Barry was throwing their way. Him making that decision himself didn't stop him from flinching slightly when it was turned his way, though.

"Guys, you do know that most of you have powers too, right?" Barry asked, hoping to get it through to them that they can't always just wait for Barry. Barry's not always going to be available to help them.

This time, it was Caitlin who spoke up. "It's not about the powers. You're never afraid to take charge and say no to them, and we are. It's like an extra little superpower that you have, that confidence. It gives you a brightness that a lot of us don't have," She sounded slightly like a mother telling her child what was so great about them that she wanted to keep them. Barry blushed, nodding and turning towards the door.

When Barry opened the door, he was greeted by The Rogues standing around the table in the middle of the room (which was originally just desks, but the desks were pushed together to create the table) arguing about something that Team Flash weren't really paying attention to. Once they noticed that Team Flash was there, though, they automatically stopped arguing and turned towards them. It was completely silent for a beat, but soon Len broke it.

"Alright, so I guess you're wondering why you're here," He started, gesturing to the table so that they could all sit down. Once everyone had sat down, Barry gesturing for Len to continue, Len cleared his throat so that he could continue. "There are blue-shirts on campus. I got tipped off by an outside man of mine. He was staking out the place, the warehouse on the corner of the Centranapolon. You know, the middle of National, Metropolis, Star, Gotham, and Central. Anyways, he saw an interrogation room. They were interrogating a meta that had been a teacher here, and they told them about a flash of lightning flashing across campus. They'd thought nothing of it until they saw it again, this time materializing into a man when he stopped. You, Barry," Len explained, causing everyone to be horrified.

Iris was the first to snap out of it. "We told you, Barry! We told you and you didn't listen, you should have been more careful. Now, we're all caught! This is your fault, Barry," Iris snapped, glaring at Barry and dragging Caitlin behind her as she walked out. Caitlin glared at Barry as she was dragged out, also blaming him but choosing to keep her mouth shut.

Cisco crossed his arms, scowling down at Barry. "You are the most selfish person ever, Bartholomew. You only ever thought about yourself, I want you out of the dorm by tomorrow," Cisco said, scarily calm. He walked out, Ray, Felicity, Diggle, Sara, and Laurel following him. The rest of Team Flash left slowly after that, besides Oliver and Barry.

Oliver stood over Barry, scowling. "You just exposed the rest of your team. You don't deserve to be the leader of them, and you definitely don't deserve to be called a hero like you want to be," Oliver scolded, reprimanding Barry for his actions.

As Oliver left, that left Barry alone with The Rogues. The Rogues hadn't expected them all to blame Barry, and Barry still hadn't snapped out of the funk that everyone was in when Len had stopped talking. He was staring at the table, eyes wide open with fear dancing in his irises. The Rogues would only have invited Barry if they had known the rest of them would blame Barry, because no one deserved to be completely abandoned. Especially not when they were blaming themselves as it was...

"Barry," Lisa started, voice soft and holding concern. When Barry looked up at her though, his eyes were bright. Almost as if something was flashing in them. Something like... Lightning. Before any of them could do anything to stop it, Barry had run out of the room in a flash of lightning. "Damn it!" Lisa yelled, suddenly rounding on Len. "You said nothing like this would happen. I had a bad feeling about this, that kid doesn't deserve this. He lives with Iris's father, which means he has nowhere to go! Len, we have to find him. Before he gets caught, please," Lisa begged her brother and the rest of The Rogues. The Rogues all nodded, but Len seemed to be considering his options. "Lenny!" Lisa urged, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Fine, we'll go after the kid. We'll offer him a place to stay at the safe-house. We have to find out the exact things that he needs. Nobody's body foregoes the changes that the metahuman gene forces. He has got to have something that the rest of us don't, like how I occasionally need no heat in the house. Or, how Lisa needs something gold to wear and doesn't take it off for days on end. Then, we have a chat with the team of bozos for their actions to the kid. Any objections?" Len demanded out of The Rogues, none of The Rogues having anything against it. They know it's just his way of feeling like he has control of the situation, and without that control he wouldn't be as emotionless as people think he actually is.

All of The Rogues ran out of the club room, turning off the light and locking the door behind them because there was no need to go back there now. They ran through the campus, finally finding Barry sitting in front of the cafe, rocking back and forth in a fetal position. (The Rogues all felt dumb that they hadn't checked there first, after finding out that his metabolism had sped up along with the rest of his body after the lightning. Of course everything about him sped up.) His expression was blank, but his eyes held panic, guilt, and sorrow. Lisa started towards Barry, signaling that the others stay out of sight.

"Barry, please don't run away this time..." Lisa pleaded, causing Barry to look up at her with that blank expression. His eyes seemed a bit unfocused, which seemed unusual. She signaled over to The Rogues that Len would have to come over. Len, out of all of them, was the one that knew the most about the scarlet speedster. "I'm bringing Lenny over here, is that alright?" Lisa asked, but the only response she got from Barry was slow blinking. His expression didn't change, and his eyes seemed to become more unfocused.

"What's going on?" Len asked, looking only at his sister. They needed to get Barry out of the public eye before someone else, possibly someone that knew him, noticed him.

"Look him over, tell me if you find something out of place of his usual self," Lisa said carefully, not looking at Len and keeping her focus solely on Barry.

"He's in a fetal position, rocking back and forth. That seems pretty unusual to me," Len snarked back, getting Lisa's attention to fix on her brother. She gave him an exasperated look, and gestured for him to look closer. Len did as he was told, no matter how much it killed him to take orders from anybody, even his own sister, and found what she was talking about.

"His eyes. They're not looking at anything, but it's almost as if he is looking through us," Just as Len finished his thought, Barry slumped backwards, falling to the ground. He would've hit his head if Len didn't have such quick reflexes. He leaned over Lisa, catching the speedster's head before he could do any damage to it. Though, from the fights they had and the fact that he sprang right back up after them, they all assumed he had hyper healing.

Len picked him up easily, carrying him bridal style. If the rest of The Rogues noticed the worried and fond look he sent towards the speedster's head, they didn't comment on it as they all walked towards their safe-house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, but I'm having trouble getting ideas, let alone finding ways to drag them out. Thank you for being so patient with me, I promise the next chapter will be longer and will have more uplifting content. At first, I wasn't sure whether I wanted Team Flash to leave Barry or stay with him, but then I decided that them leaving would be cause for The Rogues to come in. And, for the main relationship to come in, I expect there to be at least some mutual trust there beforehand, or else Len and Mick never would go through with it. That's just my thoughts on their characters, you can argue if you'd like.


	3. Get Me Out Of My Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len tries to help Barry get out of his head, but quickly finds out that the only way to do that is with emotional comfort. Being that Len isn't good with emotions, really just expressing them because he's good at pressing them back, he brings in Lisa and Mick who have been there to bring himself out of his own head since juvie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barry is in shock. Can speedsters go into shock? IDK we'll just say they can xD

After the Rogues, plus Barry, got to the safe-house, Len laid him down on the worn-out couch that they had. All of the Rogues immediately lunged forward to baby him, some even knocking each other over. Mick rolled his eyes at the rest of the household's behavior as he walked into the kitchen to make them a late dinner. He figured that two plates each of his special Potato Stuff would do. (Potato Stuff is a recipe that he made up himself, using some random ingredients he had found in his kitchen. At first, he burnt the house down trying to make it, but he eventually got better with inventive, on-the-spot recipes.)

Len couldn't figure out what had happened to the speedster. As he looked him over, he didn't see any injuries that may cause him to pass out.

At some point, he had to send the rest of The Rogues to their respective rooms because they were crowding around Barry. The Rogues, though they didn't like it, respected the order and followed it.

Len watched Barry as he slept, trying to figure out what made Barry act the way he did. With his hyper-healing, he suspected that the only reason could be shock...

Just as Mick was finishing up dinner, grumbling slightly at no one because he would have to get more potatoes, he heard rustling, as well as a soft grunt, in the living room.

As Mick peeked around the corner to see what was going on, he had to suppress a laugh.

Len was out of the chair he had been occupying beside the couch, and was now holding up a still unconscious speedster.

"Guess we know now that doll-face moves a lot, even in his sleep," Mick barely managed to restrain himself from laughing, and even then he couldn't quite keep the grin off his face.

"Very funny, Mick. Now, come help me before I drop him!" Len ordered, causing Mick's restraint to crumble and he started rumbling with laughter. Len gave him a deadpanned glare, extremely unimpressed.

Mick, eventually, managed to get over his laughter enough to help Len get the still-unconscious speedster back on the couch. After that, Mick went back to cooking(hiding) and Len was fluffing the pillow one of the Rogues - Lisa, he thinks - had put under the kid's head when he heard a whimper. Barry turned, suddenly, in Len's hold. At first, Len thought he was waking up so he dropped the speedster softly onto the couch, placing his head back on the freshly fluffed pillow.

When he looked back at the kid, Len saw that he had been wrong. The kid's faced was screwed up into a face that was almost pained, and Len's heart nearly broke at the sight. Len turned to the kitchen, silently hoping for Mick to come back. Len was never good with expressing emotions, even worse at helping other people with that particular task. Mick was the better one out of the two with helping people with their emotions, he had had a lot of practice with Len and Lisa over the years.

Barry, suddenly, whimpered again, this time starting to mumble. "No... I didn't mean to... I'm sorry... No... Mom!" The kid shot up, in tears and seemingly gasping for breath. He looked around, confused and afraid. He seemed lost, unable to get a handle on his racing mind.

Len quickly moved into Barry's vision, trying to reassure the kid. "Hey, hey! It's fine, Barry. You're safe," Len attempted to reassure Barry, remembering nights when Lisa would wake up, wishing for either him or her mom. Len knew how he would reassure his sister, the only one he held dear to him besides Mick, but he didn't quite know how Barry would react to it. If anything, it would probably upset him farther, and no one wished for that, especially not Len.

Barry, in spite of the attempted reassurance, backed away from him, falling off the couch in the attempt to get away from Len. Len reached out to help him up, but Barry backed away with what looked like unadulterated fear in his eyes. Len didn't know if he was scared of him, or if he was seeing something else in his moment of panic, but he took the hint nonetheless and backed off, hands held up in another attempt to placate the kid.

Barry had managed to back himself into a corner before the rest of the Rogues, including Mick who had gotten there first, came running in to check what was happening. He looked around, still trying to make sense of what was happening.

"Hey, sweetie, calm down. You're alright, you're in a Rogue safe-house. Don't worry, we just want to help you. Can you come back to the couch for me?" Lisa asked, sounding like she was talking to a scared child. Which, in the state of mind Barry seemed to be in, was quite likely what she was going for.

Barry stared at Lisa, that same look of fear in his eyes. Lisa seemed to be a mix of shocked and sad to see Barry this way. This scared look was something that nobody besides Iris had seen on Barry before. But, Iris wasn't there...

"Why are you helping me? I caused Bio-Polars to investigate the campus. Why aren't you abandoning me, too? Like the rest of them, you have good reason," Barry asked, trying to understand why anyone was taking care of him in spite of all the damage he'd done. He didn't understand why anybody wouldn't abandon him like everyone else did.

"Because, nobody deserves to be abandoned. Especially not someone as sweet, kind-hearted, and just overall **good** as you. Your so-called friends don't deserve you, and you yourself deserve so much more. We wish to be that, at least temporarily. All of us know what it feels like to be abandoned," Lisa, always the hero in this group of villains, reassured the kid, doing her best and thankfully succeeding.

Barry uncurled from his spot in the corner, his eyes losing quite a bit of that fear they held when backing away from Len. (Len never knew how Lisa managed to do it, but he knew better than to ask. The answer would just be a snarky retort, seeing as she is his sister.) Those same Bambi eyes, though, now showed regret and guilt. He walked, more like sulked, back over to the couch to sit down. His head hung low, giving the Rogues at least a hint of what he was going to say.

"I'm so sorry. I never should have tried to be a hero... Oliver was right, I'll never be the hero I want to be. My powers... They aren't a blessing... They're a curse that everyone has to live with. I'm sorry, for I have failed this city," Barry apologized, reciting the normal saying that Oliver tells people. "You have failed this city," seemed to be The Hood's catch phrase.

"You've not failed anyone," Mick deadpanned, keeping his anger from showing in hopes of not scaring the kid. He had been silent throughout this whole endeavor, as was everyone else but Lisa, and he had hoped to stay that way because Lisa was usually the one to reassure the emotionally broken ones. But, when Barry mentioned what Oliver said, he just couldn't help it. "If anything, you've helped more people than they have. Your powers are as much a part of you as your Bambi green eyes. And, you can't take away your powers without taking away the very thing that makes you Barry Allen. Without your powers, you never would have had that optimism and hope that you could help," Mick ranted, everyone staring at him in shock. Except Barry...

"How can you know that? Before I got struck by lightning, I was still Barry Allen. I was filled with hope that I would save my father from jail, it just got better after the lightning. I caused my friends to have to be saved, I'm not fit to save them myself, especially not when it's my fault," Barry kept his gaze down as he said this, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"You see, the thing is, Scarlet, nobody here actually believes it's your fault. You're not at fault here, Barry. Everybody makes mistakes, and yours, at least, had good intentions. You are a hero, Barry Allen. And, this city has not been failed by you. It has been saved by you, more than once," Len said, pure honesty in his eyes and voice, but impassiveness in his expression. Len never really got the hang of expressing important emotions, despite the lessons Mick tried to give him which were rewarded by snarky comments and unimpressed deadpan looks.

Barry didn't know what to say. His friends abandoned him, and his supposed enemies are the ones helping him throughout this. Or, at least, trying to help him... His eyes filled with tears, and he lunged toward Len, wrapping his arms around him as he started sobbing. He felt Len tense, before relaxing and wrapping his arms around Barry with a calm expression but wide eyes.

The rest of the Rogues, though usually like Len and not used to hugging or touching, quickly made their way over to Barry and Len to join the hug. Mick and Lisa joined first, then came Hartley and Axel. The rest of the Rogues joined after them and they ended up in a big group hug.

After about ten minutes of hugging, Barry became tense. He still didn't know how to feel about the Rogues taking care of him, so the Rogues respected that and let go of him. But, there was one thing that wasn't negotiable...

"You're staying here for a few days. Shawna, Axel, and Hartley, front and center," Len commanded, watching with mischievous smirk of delight as Hartley, Shawna, and Axel stepped up to hear their orders, Axel giving Len a mock solute. "Go to Barry's dorm and get his stuff, and leave Cisco alone unless he starts something. Just don't do too much damage if a fight does ensue," Len ordered, his smirk growing as the three Rogues disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" Barry asked, a small smile on his face. He would never admit to it, but Len really like that sight. The fact that he was the cause of that smile just made him want to see it more.

Len smirked, and, as if on cue, the remaining Rogues - including Len- replied. "Of course we are."

Lisa walked over, putting a hand on Barry's shoulder and giving him a small smile. Her eyes held so many emotions, but the most prominent one was honesty. "You're already a part of the family."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking about doing the next chapter in Team Flash's point of view, so that you can see a bit of how they feel about the situation after getting so mad at Barry.


	4. Not A Chapter But I Have A Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a question for all the readers, because no matter how hard I try I can't figure out the answer.

Hey guys. I know it's been a while since chapter two, I literally just posted chapter three so if you haven't read it you should go back and read it after this question.

 

 

Should I write a Glee AU for The Flash? I mean, Barry Allen would still be Barry Allen (not Sebastian Smythe), but they would have some plot events from Glee. I was actually planning on making Barry Allen play Kurt Hummel instead of Sebastian just because I feel like Barry is a closeted gay in disguise. I just wanted to ask you guys and see if you would enjoy it, and I was going to add a twist on it (Maybe mix it with the Soulmate AU or have them keep their powers and how they got them/found them out.) But, I am not exactly sure whether or not to do it yet. Please leave a comment with your answer, and any suggestions for it that you have. I'd love to hear them. Also, you can give some suggestions for this story. Again, love to hear them. They're always welcome.

By the way, I'm saying this again, repeating my end notes of the last chapter. Because, if you're anything like me and you skip the notes to get to the story quicker, you won't know my other question. I'm thinking about doing the next chapter in Team Flash's point of view, just so you can see how they feel about the situation after getting so mad at Barry. I was wondering if you guys would like that or if you just want me to stay with Barry and The Rogues for now? Just wanted to see what you guys would prefer.


	5. Happiness Doesn't Come Easily

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry is dealing with the aftereffects of his family and friends abandoning him, and he continues to enter a shocked state when triggered. The Rogues all believe that this is The Flash's version of a panic attack, and some things are just triggers for him. Len, Mick, and Lisa, though, have just the solution to this.

Barry was lounging on a bed in the safe-house, staring at a picture in his hands. It had been two weeks since the Rogues had basically taken him in, and they had all checked in on him at some point during those two weeks. He hadn't returned to his classes, instead choosing to pass the time by lying in bed and staring at this photo. The photo itself was taken by Diana Prince, a well-known artist and photographer that just happened to be passing by, but it was the people in the photo that compelled him to keep it...

All of his family and friends were smiling, even Oliver Queen who had a habit of frowning at all times. They were standing in front of the university, Barry holding up his first forensic science award. It was a big trophy that symbolized taking fingerprints, but it was important. Looking over at the corner of the room, Barry saw the trophy on a dresser that hadn't been there when he went to bed that night. (Stolen or not, he didn't know. He wasn't sure if he wanted to ask...)

A knock at the already open door (a precaution the Rogues took, so that they could check in on Barry to make sure that he wasn't reverting back into the shocked state they had found him in) brought him out of his roaming thoughts, thankfully keeping them from straying too far into shock category again. He wasn't handling being abandoned well...

"Breakfast is ready. Lenny wants to check up on you, and he thinks it would be better for you to be around us instead of alone here in your room. While being alone sometimes is healthy, it's not good for your... Mental health for you to stay alone right now," Lisa informed, giving him a gentle smile.

Barry quickly learned that, despite her having almost the same upbringing as most of the Rogues, she was the most outspoken and gentle of them all. She could even be more gentle than Caitlin...

Barry shook his head, ridding himself of thoughts like that. It wouldn't help him at all to be thinking about her, or any of them, really...

Barry followed Lisa into the dining room, his head hung low. As he sat down at the table, he answered questions thrown at him in a small, weak voice, and he did his best to make the answers as small as possible.

He no longer thought that any of them would harm him, but he still wasn't exactly comfortable with them, yet. Besides Lisa, all of the Rogues had been giving him his space. Barry took that as a sign that they didn't actually want to be around him, and when he made the mistake of mentioning that when Lisa asked what was wrong, well...

"Sweetie, you don't think that... We're just taking pity on you... Do you?" Lisa asked, total misery in her voice. Although they knew that Lisa was just using her "pulling-on-the-heartstrings-tactic", Len and Mick glared at Barry, whilst the other Rogues were trying to subtly signal them to stop.

Barry winced, tears filling his eyes as they widened, pupils dilating. "I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you sad. Although, that's actually what I believe... I'm so sorry... God, I messed up again, didn't I?" Barry finished his ramble in the same small, weak voice he had been using before to answer questions.

Once they realized what they were doing, Lisa immediately stopped looking sad, and Len and Mick stopped glaring. The rest of the Rogues continued to glare, not at Barry but at Len, Mick, and Lisa.

"No, no. Sweetheart, I'm sorry. Don't cry, I'm not actually miserable. It's just a little strategy I whipped up, in case I needed to get information," Lisa said, trying to reassure a shocked Barry.

Barry hadn't realized before that he was crying. Maybe it was the suddenness of the situation, or maybe it was just the fact that he was too busy focusing on trying to apologize to everyone without slipping up again, but he left the tears to finish their trek down his cheeks.

All of the Rogues were slowly realizing that their usual tactics, though fine under normal circumstances, were not going to work with Barry in this shape. Mick looked down suddenly feeling very ashamed. Len, although experiencing the exact same feelings, kept a normal posture and expression. He was Leonard Snart, and Leonard Snart did not feel ashamed over trivial acts... At least, that's what he told himself.

"It's not your fault. I know I mess everything up. If you wouldn't mind, I'm not very hungry. I'm just going to go to my room..." Barry tapped into his speed, letting himself stand there and assess the Rogues for a few minutes in Flash-time. He shook his head and ran off to his room, none of the Rogues able to notice the time Barry took to study all of them.

Barry sighed, not knowing what to do. He knew that he could easily run away if he needed to. But, he couldn't quite muster up the energy to do that. Why should he run? Running is what made all of his friends abandon him and what made him feel this way in the first place.

After Barry sat down on his bed, the door still not fully closed because, whilst it was a comfort for the Rogues at first, it quickly became a comfort to Barry, as well. It kept him in reality, instead of allowing him to slip back into his head which was consumed by self-destructive thoughts, again.

This time, none of the Rogues came in to check on him throughout the day. Until dinner, that is...

"Scarlet, we need you to come with us," Len said, his usual smirk set on his face, although he was feeling nervous that the speedster would refuse his demand. He wasn't usually this nervous about anything, but this kid always made him feel things that he couldn't really explain.

Barry jumped, the picture falling to his side on the bed. He looked at Len, seeing Mick and Lisa flanking him, and immediately became tense, accidentally tapping into the speed force.

As everything slowed to a stop, Barry noticed the underlying worry in Len's eyes, Mick still seemed to be inwardly ashamed of his actions at breakfast, and Lisa didn't even bother to hide her concern for Barry.

Barry shook his head, taking a deep breath as to calm himself, and letting himself slowly step back into normal time. As he did, he noticed the worry worsen in Len's eyes, meaning that they had definitely notice the flash of lightning in his eyes.

Barry took another deep breath, trying to keep himself calm so that he could analyze the situation without freaking out. He looked at the time, noticing that it was time for dinner. They had come in to tell him something, but Barry had to put effort into remembering what that was. He hated his mind being so slow, but he didn't know what he could do about it. There wasn't really anything they could do about his mind, except for contacting Caitlin which wasn't the best idea as Iris and her had been nonstop spamming his phone with angry messages.

When he figured out that they were actually worried about him, even when mad, he hadn't been able to stop the small smile that spread across his face. This smile slowly turning back into a frown once he noticed that they were still angry and that the rest of them hadn't even bothered to contact him, meaning that he had really lost them.

Barry shook himself out of his spiraling thoughts, turning back to Len and finally remembering what the man had said.

"Where would you be taking me?" As he said this, Barry got up out of bed and turned to his closet.

The closet had been stocked with fresh clothing, as well as his own, but he hadn't used any of it. He had been using his clothing that had been stocked into the drawers of the new dresser he had gotten. At first, he had felt bad using it, mainly because he couldn't tell if it had been stolen or not, but that was before he realized that he couldn't live out of a suitcase forever.

Barry turned to the three Rogues at the door, cocking an eyebrow at them. "Well?" He said, gesturing to the variety of clothes in the dresser. "I need to know whether or not it's a warm weather event, casual event, cold weather event... Whatever it is, I need to be told if I'm going to get dressed," Barry tried his best for a playful smirk but it faltered at the sight of all three Rogues, even Lisa, just staring at him in what seemed to be shock.

Lisa was the first to snap out of it, Len and Mick not far behind her, as she shook her head in almost disbelief. "Are you actually using the closet this time? You usually just use the dresser," Lisa pointed out, eyes flickering between Barry and the closet.

Barry shrugged, but the blush that appeared on his face was a dead giveaway of his embarrassment. "Figured it was time. I can't live out of just a dresser forever, just as I can't live out of a suitcase forever. I have to get over myself at some point, and why mope around and wait? There's never going to be a 'right time' for any of this. This whole situation sucks, but I can't stay in my room forever and hide. At some point, I have to face reality. Just... Baby-steps, okay?" Barry asked, trying not to force himself to do too much. Because, whilst it isn't healthy to mope and hide forever, it also isn't healthy to push himself too far past his limits.

This was the first moment that, from the time that Barry had first met him to the present day, Len had ever actually smiled, a genuine smile in place of his usual snarky smirk. And, to think that that smile was caused by Barry made him smile in return, the blush he already had darkening instead of turning back into his pale skin once he realized what he had just done.

"Baby-steps are alright. Now, Scarlet, get ready. Dress for warm weather, because the activity we have taking place requires it," All throughout his order, Len's voice had kept the soft tone he had used to try to calm Barry those two weeks ago. And, even though he would never admit it, the smile stayed within his features, helping to soothe Barry.

Barry quickly got dressed, as soon as the three Rogues had left, and made it to the door before he suddenly stopped. He realized that this had been the first time he had really smiled, a genuine smile, one not faked or plastered on, since that night two weeks ago.

Thinking about the events that led up to this point, to the Rogues being his self-declared caretakers, and to them being the only ones to make Barry smile, Barry knew that he wouldn't have had it any other way.

With this thought, Barry smiled again, walking down the hallway and to the kitchen, where all the Rogues seemed to be gathered. Lisa gathered him up in a hug, Barry returning it almost instantly. When he pulled back from the embrace, Barry turned towards Len, smirking the whole time.

"Lead the way, Captain."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, I feel so bad for writing this. But, things get better soon, I promise. All of my friends are mad at me for making Oliver and Felicity abandon him, because Oliver normally wouldn't and we all know that Felicity has a good heart, but I had to for the story to progress. I had an amazing idea for this story, but all of his friends had to abandon him, even the ones that normally wouldn't, for that to happen.
> 
> Anyways, comments and kudos fuel my soul. Please, leave a comment telling me what you think. And, if you have any ideas leave them in the comments below. Love you, have a great day!


	6. Another Question

Hey guys, so I have a question. Should I make a story about Barry/Len/Mick being a soulmate triad? I absolutely love the idea of writing it, but I wanted to see what you guys think first. I think I would wait to write it until after I finish The More You Know, just so that I can keep a handle on everything. I don't really have an update schedule anyways, I just write and publish those writings once I feel like they are properly done.

I don't normally wait to start a story, as you would see if you saw my Wattpad account and my own personal stories on my laptop. None of them are finished (except for one book on Wattpad, but we shall never speak of that again xD).

Don't get me wrong I absolutely love writing my ideas when they pop in my head. But, I just think that I should get in the habit of just finishing one story before I start on another. I've written the plot in a personal folder that I have on my laptop (and, who knows, maybe I'll write it there for the time being and just wait to publish it), but I don't think that's going to be published right this moment.

I would love to see what you think of it, seeing as the triad soulmate AU is one of my favorites to write, but until then, hope you enjoy this story. It'll be continued again soon, and I'm in the process of writing the newest chapter already. Byeee!

PS: Do you guys like the new name and profile picture. The name is my YouTube name, with an underscore added to it for here. My YouTube is really cringey I wouldn't look at it xD


	7. Somewhere Only We Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len, Mick, Lisa, and Barry spend some time together, cheering Barry up and effectively getting Len Mick and Lisa out of their comfort zones when Barry starts opening up a bit more with the origins of his negative feelings.

Barry walked out of the safe-house with the 'unholy trinity' as he'd begun to call them. He smiled once they got to the motorcycles, but that smile turning into a confused frown when they continued to walk right past them.

"Um, are we walking?" Barry asked, gesturing to the bikes that they had just passed. Len shook his head whilst Mick and Lisa laughed at Barry's confused face.

"We do have a car, you know," Len snarked, speeding up so that they would get there faster. Len normally wasn't the type to speed things up, but for Barry, no matter how much he didn't want to admit it, he would change everything.

Barry gasped when he saw the car. It was an ice blue Chevy Cruze. It seemed to have been an older model of it, and it had a dent in the passenger side door, but it was clearly taken care of.

Len smirked at Barry's reaction to the car. "It's been with me for a while, and I just couldn't bear to part with it. Besides, it seemed **_cool_** ," Len's smirk grew as Mick groaned at the pun but Lisa and Barry laughed.

They all got in the car and Barry's knee started bouncing in anticipation. "Can anybody tell me where we're going?" Barry asked, not quite able to keep the smile off of his face as he excitedly looked at his surroundings through the car windows.

In the passenger seat, Len looked back at him through the rear-view mirror. His usual smirk transformed into a genuine smile for all of two seconds, but Barry was able to see it. He smiled back, trying to signal his gratefulness for this outing through this smile.

Barry was confused when they stopped in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. "Why did we stop?" Barry questioned, suddenly feeling that he should be very cautious. What if all this time, they were planning on abandoning him, too? Just in a more literal sense of the word...

"No need to worry, darling, we're just walking the rest of the way," Lisa answered, putting a hand on his shoulder blades to silently lead him where they were going, Len and Mick right in front of them. Barry didn't quite know what he was supposed to be feeling, but he knew that he wasn't supposed to follow so easily. Especially since, just a week ago, these three were his enemies...

As they continued to walk, this time going up a mountain, Barry was getting more anxious. They passed low-hanging branches and Mick, being the tallest one of the four, held them up whilst the others walked past. When Barry's leg got scratched by thorns, all three of the Rogues started to pay more attention to the ground, as well. When Barry started seeing a light in the distance, he started to speed up. The way that Len and Mick were looking at each other did not set his mind at ease... But, when they got to their destination, Barry's eyes widened and his worries melted away, transforming into awe.

They had stopped in a clearing, surrounded by tall redwood trees. He hadn't even noticed how high up the mountain they had gotten. But, looking around he couldn't see any roads, indicating that they had gone almost a hundred miles. The lack of human civilization seemed to give this clearing a more enchanting aura, one that Barry could practically see. He'd only ever seen a place like this in movies, and he never expected that he would see one in real life. And, he wouldn't have seen one had it not been for...

"Thank you," Barry said, turning back towards the unholy trinity. They were all staring at him, Lisa with a small smile, Len with a satisfied smirk, and Mick with the widest grin he'd ever seen on a person. "This place is beautiful. But, what are we doing here?" Barry asked, still feeling confused about the situation.

"We've seen who you are, Barry. You love to explore, you love seeing new things. For the past week and a half, you haven't been yourself. And, we can't blame you for that, but you need to start getting out of this funk early, sweetie, or you'll never fully get out of this cycle you've gotten yourself into. We've given you time, and space, to deal with what happened to you. And, we all know that it'll take longer than the time we've given to get out of this cycle. But, we can't let it go on any longer. You're a great person, Barry, you just need to be convinced of that again. So, what do you say? Ready to give it a shot?" Lisa asked, her face still in her usual flirty expression, but her eyes showing a hopefulness that he had never seen on her before.

Barry took a deep breath, readying himself before he gave an answer. "I'm ready. You're right, I have lost sight of myself this past week, and I need to get back to being me. I can't promise it's going to be overnight, but I really hope you'll work with me. That still doesn't explain why we're here, though," Barry replied, still trying to get an answer to his earlier question.

Len smirked in response. "This is a place that Mick and I found, and the first thing that Mick said was that you would probably like it. We found it a few days ago when we were planning this. This place is beautiful yes, but the thing that makes it complete is the hopeful aura that it makes you feel. This is one of the only two places that we have felt that hopefulness. The other place is near you," Len started. His smirk turned into a small smile, knowing that he could trust the three individuals that would be seeing it. "You carry that hopeful innocence around you that this place holds. That's why we brought you here. We wanted a place for us. Somewhere only we know," Len looked up at Barry through his eyelashes as he finished that sentence.

Barry's eyes filled with tears and, for the second time since he'd been taken in by the Rogues, he lunged forward to attack Len in a hug. The only difference is that, this time, Len didn't tense. He was ready, immediately wrapping his arms around Barry in return, his small smile widening as Mick and Lisa joined in on the hug after a beat.

This was the moment that Barry knew... No matter what happened, these three would be there for him. And, he was already planning a way that he would show them that he would do the same for all three of them. They were family now, and nothing could break this new family apart, no matter how hard they tried...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short but I've been having trouble finding the time to write lately, even though I really miss writing this story. I wanted to get this chapter out before the end of September. This is sort of a filler chapter, next chapter will be showing Team Flash's feelings on this situation. I won't give any spoilers, but I will say that there is a confrontation in the next chapter so be prepared for that. I hope you enjoyed, and I'm sorry I haven't been updating. Bye!!


	8. Make It Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Flash are going through their everyday lives without Barry, and they are all dealing with the aftermath of the decision to abandon him. When they see him in public for the first time since that night in the club room, they think that they are all on the end of their speedster-less rope. They simply must make this right...

Cisco walked into his dorm room, having just gotten done with a class. "Hey, Barry! How was cla--?" He cuts himself off as he notices he's talking to an empty room. Cisco sighed.

He'd been doing that the whole week, even though he knew that he had kicked Barry out of the dorm room. Caitlin had explained it as his subconsciousness realizing his guilt towards his situation with Barry and trying to bring it to the forefront of his mind so that he could fix the situation. Everyone had been doing it this past week...

After everyone had practically abandoned Barry, they all started to feel guilty. They had no idea where Barry had gone to, but they knew that his stuff wasn't in his and Cisco's shared dorm room anymore, and that meant that Barry went with it. Nobody had seen him since that night in Club Room Eight, and they were all trying to find him.

After going over the situation, everyone in Club Room Eight that night (besides the Rogues) felt horrible. They realized that their reactions (even if they were just out of fear) were uncalled for. Cisco once again sighed, making a decision. He reached for his phone, dialing a familiar number, one whom he had called several times that week.

"Hey, Caitlin? Is Iris there?" Cisco asked, sniffling as he wiped a stray tear off his chin.

"Yes, Iris is here. You're on speaker, Cisco. Are you upset about Barry, again?" Caitlin asked, struggling to say Barry's name without bursting into tears.

"Yeah. I need to get my mind off of the situation. Can we all go to the mall today after your classes?" Cisco asked, wanting to do the one thing that Barry had forced him to do to cheer him up after evenings with his family. He was craving food from the mall food-court at the moment.

"Of course, are we inviting anyone else?" Iris asked, her voice scratchy, no doubt from crying. Whilst everyone else had lost their best friend, she had lost her brother. After speaking to her dad, she realized how wrong it was to abandon him. It was no doubt making him feel alone just as he had when his mother was murdered...

"No, I think just us is good for today. Though, we do need to all get together again and discuss this. It's becoming too much for some of us, Oliver has shut himself down again. Felicity hasn't been able to get him to speak to anyone, not even her or Thea. But, let's not think about it too much for right now. Right now needs to be about getting our minds off of this situation," Caitlin answered her girlfriend's question. She knew that Cisco needed it to just be them as well, otherwise she would've thought to bring the others.

Cisco nodded, but stopped when he noticed that the girls weren't able to see him. "Yeah, just us is good for today. We'll all get together another day. We meeting at four?" Cisco nodded, looking at his watch that he made. As he stared at it, he couldn't help the tears that started welling up in his eyes. No matter how many times he cried, he still managed to have some tears left over.

The watch had a symbol on it, the Flash symbol to be precise. It was originally just a tracker for Barry's suit, but Cisco had eventually made it into a watch so that he could wear it at all times without worrying about someone on campus getting suspicious. Last thing they needed was Bio-Polars on campus, though that was exactly what had happened. For different reasons, reasons that had nothing to do with Barry personally...

Cisco was shaken out of his reverie by Iris's voice picking up over the phone. "Cisco, you there?" Iris asked, sounding worried that something had happened. They had all been a little overprotective of each other since finding out that there were Bio-Polars on campus. Whenever someone didn't answer a text message or a call, everyone was notified and that started a frenzy before eventually the person would answer. Without Barry there to calm them down, Caitlin had taken it upon herself to be the mediator throughout all of this. Though, admittedly, even Caitlin was affected by the loss of contact between their group and one Barry Allen.

"Yes, Iris, I'm here. Sorry, just thinking..." Cisco responded, finally looking up from his watch. It wouldn't do any good to stare at it any longer. Barry would come back, he wouldn't dare leave his friends alone in their time of need... Even if his friends were the ones who told him to go...

"I said that four was a good time, but Caitlin suggested three instead. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can talk," Iris responded, her vocal chords still sounding scratchy, though it was getting better from the sound of it.

"Yeah, yeah. Three, got it. I'll see you there," Cisco said, hanging up without giving the couple a chance to say goodbye. Cisco sighed, flopping back on his bed in a fit of despair as tears streamed out of his eyes and down his cheeks to land in his unkempt hair. He hadn't had the energy to do anything about it, so he just let it do its thing. Now, though, he was about to go out into the real world. He knew that he had to face this sooner or later, he had just hoped it would be much later.

* * *

Caitlin held the phone in a tight grip after Cisco hung up. She wanted to help her friend, but she had no idea how to. She had medical knowledge, not psychological. Caitlin sighed, hugging Iris close in an attempt to reassure both of them. She didn't know what their future with Barry held, but she knew that she would try her best to get their ray of sunshine back.

Iris sniffled, standing up and stretching her hand out to Caitlin. "It's time to face this. When we're talking to Cisco, we need to ask if there's any way to try to track him. I never should have pushed him away, it was like a chain reaction. I can't lose him, Caitlin. I can't lose my brother," Iris had an air of determination around her as she pulled Caitlin into a quick hug.

"We've got an hour, let's shower and change, and then we can start heading over there," Caitlin spoke softly, pulling Iris into a chaste kiss, cupping her dark cheeks before pulling back with a small genuine smile that hadn't framed her face since that night in Club Room Eight.

"We'll find him, Caitlin. And, everything will be okay again," Iris separated from Caitlin, her eyes hopeful and determined as she sashayed her way into the bathroom in their dorm. Caitlin smiled, setting out some clothes for them before making her way to the bathroom to shower with her girlfriend before they had to refocus on the bad things. Right now, if they just focused on each other, they could have actual hope that everything would be okay again.

* * *

Cisco sat at one of the tables in the mall food court. He sipped on a milkshake from Chick-Fil-A, looking around for Caitlin and Iris. He looked down at his phone to check the time, only to freeze at the sight of his lock screen.

The picture on the screen was a photo that Diana Prince had taken. Everyone else was given physical copies, but Cisco had asked for his to be digital. The picture showed everyone, all of his friends, including Team Arrow. They were standing in front of the Science building on campus, celebrating Barry's first forensic science award. Cisco started to tear up, remembering how excited Barry was, claiming that this was the first step to clearing his dad's name. Everyone was smiling in the photo, even Oliver, but it wasn't because of a silly award. It was because everyone knew that Barry was happy, truly happy, something that he rarely ever was.

Cisco wiped his tears, placing his phone in his back pocket and standing as he saw Caitlin and Iris making their way towards his table. Cisco hugged them both before he sat back down, Caitlin and Iris now joining him. "So, first things first, are you okay? I saw you crying when we first got here," Caitlin placed her hand gently on top of Cisco's.

Cisco was too wound up to appreciate the gesture, instead opting to roughly pull his hand out from under Caitlin's. He dismissed the small amount of hurt in her eyes as he answered her earlier question. "Am I okay? No, I'm not okay. I successfully managed to push my best friend out of my life, along with the rest of his friends, and the only idea that I may have to find him probably won't work unless he has his suit with him," Cisco ranted, running his fingers through his unkempt hair.

"Cisco, what are you saying? There's a way to find out where he is?" Iris asked, her eyes lighting up with hope, something that Cisco hadn't seen in her eyes since last week. Cisco sighed, sipping his now completely melted milkshake.

"Cisco, you can't just tell us that you can track Barry, and then leave us in the dark. Cisco, you weren't the only one who pushed him away, we want to help get him back," Caitlin reprimanded Cisco, giving him a stern look that would make even Iris crack.

"Alright, so I remembered that I put a tracker in Barry's suit. I did it for when he all of a sudden went running, that way I could monitor him in some way. I use this watch that I made. So, if Barry has his suit with him, we can essentially figure out where he is," Cisco rambled on about the science of how his watch could monitor Barry's suit for a while before Iris interrupted him.

"Okay, Cisco. We don't need to understand the science behind it, we just need you to find him. I need my brother back," Iris wiped a stray tear, putting her free hand in Caitlin's and squeezing. She needed to see Barry, to at least see that he was okay.

Cisco nodded before looking around, pressing a button on his watch and the three meta-humans watched as the watch flipped open to show a hologram. Caitlin and Iris gasped at the advanced technology before Cisco began typing on a tiny hologram keyboard. Cisco hummed in confusion as a red dot showed up on the hologram, watching as it moved slowly closer to a silver one.

"What's that? What's going on? Which one is Barry?" Iris asked, looking back and forth between the two dots on the hologram screen. Cisco closed his hologram momentarily as a stranger walked past their table, walking to another one near them. Cisco waited a little bit before opening the hologram, pointing to the silver dot.

"You see this dot? That's us. Since we're inside the mall, it's showing inside the mall. I was fully prepared to change it to outer-world view, but apparently I don't have to," Cisco seemed shocked.

"So, if that's us, then the red one coming towards us is..." Caitlin was cut off by Iris gasping and pointing towards something she saw. Cisco and Caitlin turned to see what it was that she had seen, already having a pretty good idea, and saw something even more shocking than they expected.

Barry Allen was walking along with Leonard Snart, Mick Rory, and Lisa Snart, holding the bag with his suit as well as a few shopping bags. He was smiling, but, even from where they were sitting, the three meta-humans could see the pain behind his smile. Barry was slightly leaning his head on Leonard's shoulder, seeming to be listening to Lisa and Mick banter back and forth. Barry laughed at something, and Caitlin let out a soft gasp as she saw him laugh. For the past week, the only image of Barry that she could conjure up in her mind had been the blank-faced, terrified Barry that they had left in that club room with the Rouges. She had seen him flash past him, but she had been pulled along by Iris before she could really think about it.

Just as Barry and the "Unholy Trinity", as Barry had dubbed them, walked into another store, Iris slammed her hands on the table, bringing Cisco's and Caitlin's attention to her. Her cheeks were soaked as tears streamed from her eyes. "That's it. We have to get my brother back," Iris sobbed, burying her face into her hands as Caitlin hugged her close.

Unbeknownst to the three meta-humans, one Mick Rory had heard their entire conversation...


	9. That's Christmas To Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not connected to the actual story, just a little Christmas thing for all of you that feel like it is needed.

Barry woke up to the feeling of being shaken. He groaned, trying to bury himself into the warmth around him. An arm pulled him into a firm chest, Barry smiling as he opened his eyes slightly, blinking a few times to get the sleep out of them. Turning slightly, he saw Mick trying to curl around him. Len and Mick would never admit it, but they were definitely cuddlers at night.

Barry chuckled as he burrowed back into Mick, closing his eyes once again to try to go back to sleep. He furrowed his brow when he felt himself being shaken again, hearing Mick groan behind him as he was shaken as well. Barry opened his eyes once again, peering up at the figures above him. As he did that, he saw the smiling faces of Lisa and Iris.

"C'mon, Barry. It's Christmas, it's time to open presents!" Iris exclaimed, Lisa helping her pull Barry out of bed. Mick grumbled behind him about losing his source of warmth before he burrowed back into the blankets. The girls didn't waste any time pulling Mick out of bed as well, only stopping once he was standing up and glaring at them for invading his personal space.

"Alright, boys, get dressed. Something warm, because we're going out after presents," Lisa commanded, bearing the same attitude as her brother. Barry sighed, leaning against Mick's chest as Iris and Lisa left, closing the door behind them to let them get dressed. Mick wrapped his arms around Barry, pulling him in with a satisfied hum rumbling deep in his chest.

"They are right, though. It's Christmas," Barry started, smiling up at Mick. Before Mick could get a word out, Barry had already sped out of his arms and into the closet. Once he came to a stop in front of Mick, he'd already gotten dressed into his favorite Christmas sweater and some black skinny jeans. The sweater was a present from Cisco the year before, to commemorate the first year of friendship between the two. It had tiny lightning bolts, surrounded by fire and snowflakes. He smiled down at the sweater before turning his smile to Mick, who had started to get dressed.

Barry wrapped his arms around Mick's bare shoulders, smiling up at him before leaning in for a kiss. Mick returned the kiss, pulling Barry in by the waist. Just as Mick started prodding Barry's mouth open with his tongue, they were interrupted by the door being pushed open. Barry turned to glare at the monster whom had interrupted them, his glare falling into an excited smile upon seeing who was at the door.

"Lenny!" Barry exclaimed, turning and speeding into Len's arms, planting a quick kiss to Len's lips. Len pulled back with a scowl, a smile threatening to come out to play.

"Do you really deserve a kiss after the display I just saw in here? It seems you boys have been playing without me," Len pouted, his eyes smiling.

"Hey, you're the idiot who left us alone for the week running up to Christmas," Mick interjected, defending himself and his boyfriend, putting a hand on the small of Barry's back.

"Hmm, I guess you're right," Len smiled, leaning up to kiss Mick. Watching them kiss, Barry pouted at the fact that he wasn't able to get more than a peck out of Len after he'd been gone for a week. Len smirked when he saw his pout, leaning down to kiss Barry after he'd finished his kiss with the taller of his two boyfriends.

"You lovebirds done in there? It's time to open presents," Hartley called through the closed door to the bedroom shared by the three lovers.

"Yeah, and I'm ready for the Star Trek set that Lisa's about to give me!" Cisco yelled, Barry chuckling at the scandalized gasp that came out of Lisa in result.

"I told you not to Vibe it, idiot," Lisa reprimanded Cisco. From the tone of her voice, the three boyfriends knew that she was pouting and crossing her arms.

"Hey, I can't help it with you touching me all the time. It's not my fault that my vibes come uncontrollably when I'm in contact with something!" Cisco defended himself, his voice rising to heights that could only mean he was getting embarrassed about having revealed his vibe.

As the household started arguing in the living room, Barry groaned, leaning into Mick's chest. "They can't just go one day without arguing? Even Christmas?" Barry asked rhetorically. Len and Mick chuckled at that, squishing their young lover in an embrace before letting go so that Mick could finish getting dressed.

Barry walked out of the room, Len and Mick flanking him. He smiled at the gathering of people in the room, watching as they stopped their bickering and cheered at the final arrivals.

"Finally, we can get this party started!" Ray yelled, Felicity smacking the back of his head as the three arrivals sat down to start.

Passing around the presents took a few hours, being as everyone that they knew was there. But, once they were done, Mick immediately got to work in the kitchen to start lunch for the hungry crew of metahumans, and almost-metahumans. Lisa had gone into her room to set up her new flat screen TV, Axel had already gone outside to start exploding some of the wind-up toys that Cisco had made him, Roy was silently sketching in his new sketchbook, Len was reading a new book beside Barry, Hartley and Cisco were bickering over how to set up Cisco's new laptop that Hartley had modified for him (already known, of course, but Cisco wouldn't share that vibe if he could help it. It was a very good laptop, after all), Shawna was playing with the new bracelets that would cling to her form and could widen and shrink to form rings or even belts, and all the heroes had left besides Caitlin, Iris, and Joe.

Barry sat curled up next to Len, snuggling into his new blanket as Len read his new book out loud to him. Normally, Barry would be annoyed by the slow pace (seeing as he could be done with the book in less than a second), but Barry just sat back and enjoyed the sound of Len's voice reading to him as Len sat carding his fingers through Barry's hair.

Barry was slowly drifting off into a content sleep when he felt Len tense up, trying to force himself to relax. Barry peeked through an open eye, seeing Joe standing in front of them. "May I speak to my son, please?" Joe's voice was firm but not unkind. It had been like that for almost three months now, the amount of time that Barry had been dating the two criminals, but Barry could tell he was faking it. But, now? Barry couldn't tell whether Joe was faking his pleasantness or if he was genuinely warming up to the idea of Barry dating the two Rogues, and living in their safe house.

Len nodded curtly after a beat, bending his knees so that Barry would be forced to sit up. Barry gave a lighthearted glare to Len before standing up and walking with Joe into the empty hallway.

"Alright, so what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Barry asked, forcing his voice to be indifferent, even as his posture definitely suggested that he was nervous.

"I thought that now was a good time to bring this up. Barry, I know that I've been... Reacting badly to the news that you're dating Snart and Rory," Barry felt himself tense at the mention of his boyfriends as Joe started. He was used to this lecture, how the two were criminals, and they were bad news for his reputation as a forensic scientist, and how Barry deserved better, and he was starting to get annoyed with it.

"Look, Joe, it's not your decision--!" Barry started, Joe lifting a finger and effectively silencing whatever protests he was about to say.

"Let me finish," Joe commanded, waiting until Barry nodded to continue. "Anyways, even with how I've been reacting, it's just because I love you. You're like a son to me, Bar. And, I haven't told you that enough over the amount of years that you have lived with me. Whilst I still think those two are bad news, I can respect that it's your decision. Or, really not, because you can't help who you fall in love with," Barry was gaping at this, having never heard it stated so bluntly coming from Joe. "You're an adult, Barry, and it's time that I recognized that. You're capable of taking care of yourself, and you're going to do great in your chosen field, even if you have to give up any cases that may resemble Snart and/or Rory. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is... I'm happy for you, Barry. I'm glad that you've found this for yourself, found a love that you're so obviously happy with. I accept you, Barry, and you're always going to be my son. No matter who you're dating," By the time Joe had finished, Barry was openly sobbing, wrapping his arms around Joe's middle.

"You've always been like a father to me, Joe. I can't tell you how much your approval means to me," Barry sobbed out, squeezing tightly onto Joe's waist. Joe wrapped his arms around his son, squeezing the life out of him. He had been preparing to tell Barry this for weeks, and he had felt like this was the right time to do it.

"Merry Christmas, son," Joe joyfully stated, pulling back to look at Barry as he wiped the few tears falling from his own cheeks. This was what Barry deserved, a father who could accept him, no matter how criminally active his lovers were.

"Merry Christmas, Joe," Barry happily replied, pulling Joe into another hug as he calmed himself down. This felt like another weight off of his shoulders, and he was so happy that his father figure approved of his relationship, even if it did take a few months to get to that point. What mattered was the fact that he did accept him, and that he loved him despite the fact he was dating the people who made his life hell on a daily basis.

For years after that, Barry would feel himself smile at the thought of that Christmas where Joe had accepted him for all his worth. Even when Singh was yelling at him for being late, he couldn't help but beam whenever the thought came to mind. Even the Christmas where both Len and Mick had proposed at the same time wasn't able to beat that, though it had come in a close second. As Barry watched Joe play with his grand kids, he remembered how it had gotten to this point, and smiled. Even as he lay on a hospital bed, breathing his final breaths, he thought about that one Christmas. And, he smiled.


	10. Rise Up, Kid, Rise Up.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry's still reeling after a confrontation with his friends, and the Rogues send Mick in to help him. Even though Mick feels satisfied that they chose him, he wasn't going to let them know that.

Barry smiled as he walked throughout the mall along with the Unholy Trinity, holding a small bag that contained his super suit. He was also holding some shopping bags, mostly Lisa's new clothing but some were his own. They were walking toward a jewelry store next to the food court that Len wanted to go to, claiming that he wanted to get something for Lisa. Barry was leaning his head on Len's shoulder as they walked, watching Mick and Lisa bicker about where they were going for lunch. Mick wanted some new sushi place they'd added in the food court, but Lisa just wanted plain old Big Belly Burger.

Barry laughed as Mick and Lisa went back and forth, just stating the names of the separate restaurants, finally deciding to end their futile argument. "You do realize both of these places are here in the food court, right? You can just go to the different places, get your food, and come back to our table. It's that simple," Barry stated, making the two Rogues go silent, effectively ending their argument.

Len chuckled to himself as Mick and Lisa just started berating each other on their choices, it was a never ending cycle. Mick always wanting to make them eat healthier, with Lisa getting tired of it and just wanting a plain old greasy burger. Barry laughed along with Len, leaning his head back on his shoulder. Normally this would make Len tense, he wasn't one for physical contact, but it was different with Barry. Len didn't like to admit it, but things were always going to be different with Barry Allen.

Just as they got to the entrance of the store, Len heard Mick go silent. Taking a quick, inconspicuous peek, Len saw Mick continually glance in a certain direction. When Lisa dragged Barry to the back of the store to help her pick something appropriate, Len followed Mick's line of sight, growling as he caught the eyes of one Cisco Ramon. "Did you hear something?" Len asked Mick, barely moving his mouth so that no one would know that he was even talking.

"They want him back," Mick bluntly stated, his mouth curved in a snarl with his obvious anger. Len would have echoed his expression had they not been in a public place. "We can't let them take the kid, Lenny, he's not ready," Mick added, smoothing out his features once he saw Iris West peak over in their direction.

"We won't, Mick," Len promised, turning to look at Barry and Lisa in the back of the store, laughing about something Lisa had said. Mick smirked once he saw the two, already making his way towards his self-proclaimed little sister and his doll.

Barry laughed. "Matching necklaces? You mean, like, friendship necklaces?" Barry asked through his giggling. Lisa laughed along with him, though hers was more in glee than disbelief.

"Yes, friendship necklaces. I mean, you're the only one my age that has been around, besides Hartley, and you're quite fun. Even when you're moping throughout the kitchen because Mick hadn't made you a snack yet," Lisa joked, laughing harder at Barry's scandalized expression.

"That was one time, and I hadn't had food since breakfast. I'm a speedster, Lisa, I need food to live," Barry dramatically stated, fighting to keep the grin off his face.

"Everyone needs food to live, doofus, you just happen to need about ten thousand calories," Lisa managed to get out through her laughs.

Barry and Lisa smiled at each other, flipping through the book of friendship items that the store clerk had given them. Just as Barry was about to point one out, he felt a presence behind him. Barry whipped around, not entirely using his speed but still not going as slow as a human. He let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Len and Mick, both with smirks of appreciation on their lips.

"What are you guys doing over here?" Len asked as Barry turned back around to continue looking through the book with Lisa. Barry pointed one out before looking over his shoulder at Len and Mick.

"Looking for friendship necklaces," Barry stated, rolling his eyes playfully at Lisa. Lisa just pouted at him before going back to the book. Barry laughed, before he pointed one out. "Look at that one," Barry politely demanded, pointing to the one he was talking about. Lisa laughed fondly, nodding before looking back at Len and Mick for approval.

The necklace that Barry had pointed out was a broken heart, the two pieces would fit together to make a whole. One half of the heart was red, gold lettering stating "Best". The other half made Len laugh. It was gold, red lettering stating "Bitches". Of course Lisa would want that one, though they hadn't known that it was a part of Barry's style.

When they asked, his response had simply been, "I'm not the one wearing the word bitches, plus, if I'm staying with you guys for a while, I wouldn't mind adapting to your style." That response had put a smile on the Rogues' faces, Len and Mick momentarily forgetting about the part of Team Flash that was there at the mall.

After they purchased the necklaces, Barry and Lisa immediately laughing with each other as they put their own half on, they made their way to the food court. They all split up, Len and Mick going to that sushi restaurant that Mick had mentioned, and Lisa walking together towards Big Belly Burger with Barry.

When they met back up at the table, they fell back into a routine conversation, occasionally speaking about powers. Doing so quietly, Barry questioned the three on what powers they had.

"Well, I can manipulate ice, but something else happened recently that caused a shift in my powers, and now I can also see the future," Len answered, coughing slightly to hide his grimace at the mention of the incident.

"I manipulate fire, but I can also track anybody just by thinking about them. That one requires a shit ton of energy, though, so I usually just like to manipulate fire," Mick replied, a sinister grin on his face at the thought of his precious fire.

"Unlike these two, nothing shitty happened recently, so I've only got the one. I can make gold just by the thought of it. The gold bits are in my blood, and I sometimes struggle with it. I have to wear something gold, something that I didn't make, for days on end when it gets too bad. But, unlike yours, the consequence for mine isn't a constant thing," Lisa struggled to admit, being as the Snart siblings are very secretive about their "weakness".

Barry grabbed Lisa's hands, causing her to look back up at Barry. "Just because you struggle, doesn't mean you're any less strong. It makes you even stronger when you admit that you have difficulties. You're strong, no matter how much you struggle with who you are," Barry was looking around at all three Rogues as he said this, smiling softly at them all as he tried to convey his point.

Len hesitantly put a hand on top of Barry's on the table. "Thank you, Barry, that was appreciated," Len didn't think it was worth mentioning that whilst that had helped, it wouldn't completely get rid of their problems. No need to bring Barry down with them...

When Barry only smiled in response, Len brought his hand back to his side of the table. Len smiled back, about to ask Barry about the quirks that come with his powers when he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. It seemed as if Barry had spotted it too, being as he was looking towards the source of the movement.

Len cursed himself internally for forgetting as he watched Cisco, Caitlin, and Iris walk towards their table. Cisco gave his best friend a small, guilty smile whilst the two girls smiled at Barry as if they were pretending like nothing ever happened. Len watched carefully as Barry sucked in a much needed breath.

Barry took a deep breath, trying to prepare for what was to come. He had hoped he'd be able to go another few weeks without having to talk to his former friends. He knew they'd come back to confirm that they were really abandoning him, just like _**he**_ had...

"Hey, Barry," Cisco greeted sheepishly, frowning a bit as Barry avoided eye contact with any of them. He knew that he'd eventually have to talk to them, finally put an end to their friendship. After all, it was his fault that they had all been put in danger, wasn't it?

"So, have you heard about the saxophone guy? How he asked out one of the cheerleaders and she turned him down because he wasn't _**female**_ enough for her? Her words not mine," Iris joked at the end, putting her hands up in only half-serious self defense. Barry looked down at his food, no longer feeling like he was in the mood to eat what he'd gotten from BBB.

"No. You pricks don't get to do that," Len interjected, lips curling into a snarl but otherwise showing no emotion at all. Iris and Caitlin gasped, their expressions a mix between scandalized and guilty. Cisco just snarled right back at Len, always ready to pick a fight with Len.

"We don't get to do what exactly? Have a nice friendly conversation with our friend who's been avoiding us for over a week?" Cisco asked, unintentionally making a jab at Barry and making him look down at the floor, Barry looking about as guilty as he felt.

"You jerks don't get to come over and act like everything's fine! Like you didn't leave Barry to feel even more horrible than he already felt!" Lisa exclaimed, people in the food court starting to stare at them because of all the commotion.

"We were hurt. He brought blue shirts to the campus," Iris stated firmly, Barry flinching at the slightly cold tone her voice took on in that statement. Barry continued to look down, gradually getting more and more annoyed as they continued to argue over him.

"At least we haven't tried to kill him," Caitlin spoke up after a while, Barry's fists clenching so hard that his knuckles were turning white and he could feel his nails digging into the skin of his palms.

"We haven't actually tried to kill the doll, it was just a game," Mick felt the need to clarify, causing Barry to softly scoff at the foolish turn this argument had taken. They were basically trying to prove which team had done the worst things to him. Couldn't they see that he was right here, and getting more and more fed up with this damn argument?

"A game?!" Cisco quietly squeaked at them, the rest of the mall shoppers finally getting bored enough to go back to their own conversations. Barry could still feel a few lingering gazes, though, but he guessed that was to be expected when someone suddenly sparked up an argument in the middle of everyone's meal.

"Yes, a game, and at least we didn't leave him in a state worse than death," Len calmly spoke, but from the gritty sound of his voice anyone could tell he was getting angry that the team of do-gooders weren't backing off.

"ENOUGH!" Barry shouted, gaining the attention of the entire food court again. He had slammed his hands on the table when he shouted, standing up so that he could face all of them at the same time. "This is stupid. You're fighting over me, ME! I'm not worth it, you guys. Len, Mick, Lisa. Thanks for the outing, it was appreciated. Caitlin, Iris, Cisco. It was good to see you again, but please stay away from me for the time being. I'm not trying to seem rude, but I need time to process and to get ahead of the situation. If you need me, Rogues, you know where to find me," Barry stalked away from the two shocked teams. He had enough experience with both teams to know that they wouldn't follow him unless it was absolutely necessary. He needed his space and they would respect that, no matter how much Team Flash was dying to apologize. Barry wasn't in the mood to hear them out. He just needed time...

* * *

Mick glared at the small assortment of miscreants before him, trying to make sense of the situation. "Let me get this straight. You want me, the known pyromaniac, to go into the room containing the known speedster who could possibly be sparking lightning... Just to cheer him up?" Mick asked, his eyebrows scrunched together and his eyes narrowed in his usual "Are-You-Sure-About-This?" look.

"Pretty much," Axel said, a huge grin plastered on his face. Mick was positive that Axel knew something that none of the others did, but he wasn't going to spend too much time on that or else he'd probably end up smashing someone's head into a wall. Possibly Axel, as he'd be the cause of the problem.

"Why are you all so sure about this? Why not Snart, the doll trusts him more," Mick gestured to the aforementioned man, who scowled at him from across the room as he peeked over his book of the week, which seemed to be Nancy Drew for the fourth week in a row.

"Because, Mick, he's already kicked me out twice. As well as Lisa, and Hartley. You're the last one left to try," Len mentioned, voice entirely devoid of any emotion that wasn't related to boredom. Mick, though, could tell he was just worried for the kid.

Mick grumbled, stalking off before Lisa could start using her damn puppy eyes on him. He had a weakness for the Snart's puppy eyes, when and if Len ever used his. Mick stopped in front of the third door to the right in the hallway, hesitating for a moment before he rapped his knuckles on the door, calling out to the doll.

"Hey, kid. It's me, Mick. Let me in," Mick spoke firmly, leaving no room for argument. He chanced a glance at the group as he heard shuffling from inside the room. Most of the Rogues were giving him a thumbs up and/or a smile. Peering around a corner, he saw Len's half-smirk-turned-smile which meant he was trying not to show that he was proud. Lisa was giving him a warning look, mouthing to him "Go easy on him." Mick gave her a placating gesture, turning back around just as the door opened.

Barry was standing there, expression blank but eyes carrying various emotions. He was wearing a shirt that said "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate" on it, obviously a science joke that Mick barely understood. He could tell it was worn often by the amount of wrinkles and stains on it. Studying the kid more, Barry saw that he was wearing a pair of Hartley's sweatpants that cling tightly to his thighs and calves. Mick cleared his throat to get it together, wanting to throw the kid in the bed that moment and get him out of that head of his, just like he usually does with Len.

"This isn't Len, this is the kid. Baby steps," Mick reminded himself in his head, just refraining from saying his thoughts out loud. The way the kid looked at him made him want to punch something - or, rather, someone. Barry was looking up at him with that defeated look he'd had the night they'd first taken him in. It was as if all of their progress in getting him to believe in himself again was destroyed with the few comments that Team Flash had made. That wasn't even the worst thing... He could see the guilt in Barry's eyes, as if he truly believed that all of it was his fault.

Mick gestured inside the room, silently asking if he could make his way inside. Barry moved to the side, pulling the door open a bit wider to allow Mick inside. Once Mick was inside, Barry shut his door back. Mick sat down on the bed, staring at Barry in a way that caused Barry to start squirming. Barry turned towards his dresser, pausing for a moment as he listened to the breathing of Mick behind him.

Just as Barry reached for the picture frame on his dresser, the same one that he had been staring at for the past few hours, a hand reached out and grabbed it before he could. Whipping around to face the offender, he saw Mick staring at the photo with an unreadable expression.

"Why did you keep this, doll?" Mick asked, staring Barry in the eyes. Barry took in a breath, turning his head to look out the window. Mick narrowed his eyes, tilting his head to the side just enough to see the kid's face. What he saw there almost broke his heart.

Barry was holding in sobs, tears streaming down his cheeks. His cheeks were turning red from the pressure of those sobs being held back. His bottom lip was trembling, even when Barry's teeth took hold of it. The worst thing, though, was his eyes. His eyes were defeated, holding all the sorrow that had been hiding in the back of his mind until now. Mick sucked in a breath, remembering the same look of devastation in Lenny's eyes all those years ago...

"What are you doing to yourself kid?" Mick asked, losing his mask of seriousness. The feeling he got as he stared into the kids eyes was just too much for him to handle with a mask on. He watched as that single sentence caused all the walls to break down around Barry. Mick caught Barry, who looked more like a kid than ever, as he fell to the ground, sobbing.

Mick held Barry in his arms as he cried, forcing himself not to push the kid away. Barry had finally broken down. Mick knew it was coming the moment that they brought him to the safe house, but he hadn't expected it to be with him. He normally wasn't good with emotions, unless they were Lenny's. He knew that most of the Rogues just needed to be left alone with their emotions, that they would get over them on their own because that's how they work. But, this wasn't just one of the Rogues. This was Barry, the kid, the doll. He wasn't used to going it alone, and Mick didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing.

He didn't know how long it had been before Barry's sobbing had become sniffling, the kid finally able to calm himself down. Mick kept his arms around him, holding him and keeping him grounded. He felt Barry squirm, letting him lean into a more comfortable position before winding his arms back around him. When Barry looked back up at him, it was with the dullest eyes he'd ever seen. They were almost emotionless, if not for the underlying sorrow behind that dullness.

"They have a point, you know," Barry started. Mick was about to interrupt, but Barry continued before he could. "It was me. I brought blue shirts to campus, I'm the one who put them all in danger. Maybe, instead of expecting an apology from them... It should be me who's apologizing," Barry pondered, sighing as he thought about how that conversation would go.

"Listen, do you know what we do when something in our life goes wrong?" Mick asked, giving Barry a small smirk. He'd heard Len say this once to Lisa, when she was little and it was just the three of them. It had stuck with him, mostly because he had never seen Len with a smile on his face before that moment. It was always soft smirks or blank faces with Len.

"No," Barry answered, giving Mick a defeated shrug. He didn't think he could handle a story about how the Rogues just go it alone. He wasn't built that way, he couldn't deal with the hard situations without someone there to be his rock. But, now, it felt like he had no rock. He was being forced to "go it alone."

"We sulk for a few days, sometimes coming together and complaining about everything that went wrong," Mick started, peeking Barry's interest. He hadn't expected them to work through anything together. "And, then, we help each other in our own ways. If Len's having trouble, whoever's around him at the time makes him a cup of hot cocoa with tons of little marshmallows. If it's Lisa, someone, usually Len or me, takes her down to the local ice rink. She's actually pretty good. But, Barry," Mick turned Barry's head, making the kid meet his eyes. "Most of all, we help each other to rise up from the depths. And, a lot of times, that shit ain't easy. But, in spite of the trouble, we help each other. And, that's what we're trying to do for you, kid. We're trying to help you."

Mick gave Barry a pat on the shoulder before untangling them. He set Barry on his bed before turning towards the door. Just before he opened it, though, he turned back to Barry who was staring at him from the edge of the bed, eyes holding only curiosity. This kind of thing was unexpected of Mick, but that didn't mean it was unappreciated.

"So, think about that, and rise up, kid, rise up," Mick gave Barry a mock salute, smiling softly before turning to the door and opening it. As he walked out, leaving the door slightly open, Barry's face formed its own smile. It seemed he had something to think about.


End file.
